Leith Recollections

Traditions

Question

Frank Ferri

Newhaven, Edinburgh

Thank you to Frank Ferri, now living in Newhaven, Edinburgh, for sending many memories of Leith.

Here, Frank asked a question.

Frank wrote:

Christening Pieces

"Does anyone remember the tradition of the 'Christening Pieces', carried on up to the 1960s?  I don't know if people still do it.

The tradition was:

'After the Christening of a new-born child, the mother would prepare a 'Piece'. It was usually an apple, orange, cake and few sweets plus a half crown (12.5 pence) placed in a bag.

If the newborn was a girl, this Piece was given to the first male child you saw in the street after the Christening, and a female if other way around.' "

Frank Ferri, Newhaven, Edinburgh:  June 18, 2008

Answer

1.

Joan

Darlington, England

Thank you to Joan for sending a reply to Frank Ferri's question about Christening Pieces.

Joan wrote:

Christening Pieces

"I made a Christening Piece for my nephew's Christening.  This was in 1984, in Trinity!"

Joan, Darlington, England:  Message in EdinPhoto guest book:  June 18, 2008

Answer

2.

Irene Day (nee Sharrock)

Wigan, Lancashire, England

Thank you to Irene Day who wrote

Christening Pieces

"I wish to add a comment to what Frank Ferri put about 'Christening Pieces'.

I'm sure our family used to call them 'Showers'.   I remember well going to family Christenings in Edinburgh as children.  The christening party would be walking along the road to the church and us kids were watching for the first boy or girl to appear who would be getting the 'Christening Piece' as Frank calls it.

Although I live in Wigan Lancs, my father made a bag of goodies up for the 'Christening Piece' and that was 1970.  My husband had never seen it before and the little boy who got the bag of goodies wondered what was being given to him.  He, no doubt, thought it was his lucky day as this was not done down here in England.

That story brought back happy memories for me."

Irene Day, Wigan, Lancashire, England:  March 15, 2008

Answer

3.

Tony Ivanov

Bo'ness, West Lothian, Scotland

Thank you to Tony Ivanov who wrote

Christening Pieces

"I remember this tradition well. I think it was a general Scottish tradition which seems to be now a thing of the past. I certainly can't recall this happening in the last couple of decades although I'm sure there will be some families who still do it."

'Pour Oots'

"Another tradition that seems to have faded away is the 'pour out' at weddings. This is where the wedding party threw out a handful of coins from the cars as they were leaving the church or kirk.

It used to be quite an event when I was a child.  When the word got around of a wedding there was usually a crowd of children waiting for the bride and groom after the ceremony, not to see the happy couple, but to get stuck in at the scramble after the money was thrown out.

It could be quite a profitable Saturday morning depending on how generous the wedding party was."

Tony added

Traditions

"A tradition, by its definition, is a custom or belief that is passed on through the generations.  Eventually, somewhere along the line traditions die out for various reasons.

I think as one gets older, such as myself, in my sixties, we feel a sense of sadness that some traditions, however trivial, are forgotten about.

Tony Ivanov, Bo'ness, West Lothian, Scotland:  June 19, 2008

'Pour Oots'

Others have also mentioned 'Poor Oots' in their recollections of Lochend and Dumbiedykes in Edinburgh

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